The outcome

Some women demand that rascals represent the country in international athletic competitions, according to press reports. It doesn’t matter that rascals are troublemakers. They just undergo psychiatric and psychological tests to make sure that fame doesn’t get into their heads, the women said.

It doesn’t matter that people could not stand a famous rascal with swollen head. And it doesn’t matter that a rascal would not understand why people call him blustery, arrogant and dominating.

Anyway, a rascal would not strut in his underwear before a stranger, the women said.

Why rascals? The question is in the minds of a lot of people. It’s because rascals are better than dogs, the women insist.

Some people agree, but others wonder if a famous and egotistical rascal could be better than a famous and overbearing dog. It could be a matter of taste, or preference.

Rascals or dogs. What’s the difference? Same dog with different collar? Some dogs do tricks on command, such as roll over, sit and fetch the ball.

Not them, the women said. They are man’s best friends.

The women said they refer to famous and overbearing dogs that are good at kicking the ball. They point at the Azkals, our national football team, which is composed mostly of athletes recruited from various parts of the world because of their Filipino parentage. Azkal means asong kalye, or mongrel stray dogs.

But Filipinos love them.

It doesn’t matter, the women said. The country is better off with rascals in the national team rather than with stray dogs.

“I don’t want to insult dogs,” said Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman. “It really is no joke when you’re idolized by so many, and you behave like a boor.”

Former First Lady Ming Ramos, wife of former president Fidel Ramos shakes her head ruefully. “They (Azkals) should behave. They bring shame to Filipinos.”

The Azkals, one of the strongest teams our sports authorities have ever assembled to compete in international games, has swept the country off its feet with dramatic victories here and abroad. In their latest victory, they beat India and Tajikistan, two former champions, in the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup.

Azkal’s victory against Tajikistan in Nepal this month qualified the Philippines, for the first time in football history, to play in the semifinals of the Challenge Cup, a biennial tournament for the lowest ranked Asian national teams.

The Azkals are real sports heroes. When they play locally, people turn out in droves to watch their game, rooting for them and waving Philippine flags. The media idolize them. People see the faces of players in newspapers, television and giant billboards all over the country.

Football is a tough sport that requires special skills, stamina, and exceptional team play. The Azkals have proven that they have what it takes to be a world-competitor.

But they have been competing only with men, so far. They may be good at kicking the ball, but some women, who wield influence and power, are mad at them and are looking to kick some ass.

They booked a match against these powerful women, their most formidable opponents, when football match commissioner Cristina Ramos, daughter of former president Fidel Ramos, complained that Azkal members Lexton Moy and Angel Guirado insulted her when she inspected their dugout at Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

She said one player “asked for the size of her brassiere, which was followed by a roar of laughter” and another player appeared before her in his underwear.

Ramos described her experience as “crude ad totally shameful … sexist and demeaning.” She filed sexual harassment charges against the Azkals.

The Azkals will face the women in the courtroom and in the field of public opinion. This is a venue where they have no training or exposure. The rules are different, and the outcome would determine whether people should call them rascals or dogs.*

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